[LazyListener]

  598SE is an old model and 598 ivory even older. None of them are part of new sennheiser's refined 5xx series. HD598Cs is, along with 599, 579, 569, and 559.
 
I agree 598Cs should be named differently since they posses different sound signature than SE's. Which one's better is a matter of prefference. I don't like Cs being not versatile at all, but I like heir sort of dark and engaging presentation. I don't like SE being much more duller and boring in comparison, but I like the fact they're better for gaming and sort of analitical listetning. Both have cons and pros none of them is a winner for me. Like I said before to me SE and Cs are equally detailed and basically on the same level of transducer's quality, with minor Cs advante being not prone to any distortions. I've read people noticed same thing in 599 vs 598SE/ivory, so it seems sennheisers indeed improved something here.

Oh, you meant Sennheiser's NEW 5xx series.  Gotcha.

 

[ian209]

My hd598's just failed on me, the left driver makes a crunching noise when listening to anything with bass. Luckily I still had 4 days of warranty left on it, so I'm sending it back for warranty. In the meantime, i bought a pair of Philips SHP9500's and I'm really enjoying them, more so than the 598's. Better extension on both frequency extremes and overall a brigher and more detailed headphone.

 

[tobar]

Hi! I would buy new headphones for my fiio x1 2nd gen. with fiio A3 amp. I've seen sennheiser hd 598 se and beyerdynamic dt 770 pro (80 ohm) but I can't choice one of them. I've never used open headphones, so I'm curious about hd 598 and his sound stage, otherwise I usually listen rap/hip hop/electronic music so maybe dt 770 could be better for bass sounds. Could you give me an advice about it?

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[MRK1]

Finally got HD598 opens to compare them with my HD598 closed. In terms of comfort closed ones is far better then the opens. In the opens there's attractive but weird headband that doesn't want to stay snug on my head. It is moving when my head is moving or when I'm walking, even when I'm just sitting I feel like the headband is moving on it's own. CS stays snug no matter what. I also prefer suede pads to velour ones, which is less comfortable to the skin and makes my ears slightly warmer. In terms of durability opens are better option, since I think closed will look really bad after couple years of usage, mainly because of more sensitive materials used in ear pads and on the cups.

In terms of sound leakage I'm postivaly surprised 598 opens doesn't leak much more than closed ones. It's noticable but it's not day and night difference.

When it comes to sound after burning them for 3 days I have mixed feelings. It's much flatter signature than closed. Trebles are super muted compared to CS, while soundstage is amazing and far superior to CS, but I think that's the only aspect in which these are better than CS. Some said and initially I had similar impression, that in CS lower mids are slightly recessed. Well after listetning to opens I have impression not only mids but all frequencies are recessed. It's like listening to music from 10 meters of the speaker, while in CS it's like 1 meter. They are equally detailed, there's no sound in opens I couldn't easily hear on CS. Bass is punchier and tighter on CS, also the vocals are lusher. Thanks to very good soundstage I think the opens can be considered more audiophile and especially better for gaming, but for music listening I think CS are better option providing more fun and engaging experience. Both of these are bad for listening to most music files on YT and poorly mastered mp3s. Both demand really well mastered files, preferbly FLAC or other losless formats to really show their full potential. To me HD598Cs is to HD598 opens as what HD650 is to HD600, meaning less analitical and less balanced signature, but more enjoyment from the music.

Other than that I think there's something wrong with transducers in open edition. Lows distorts in bassheavy tracks, highs distorts when the volume is loud (but not as loud as I wouldn't like it to be). Closed edition has none of those problems no matter the volume or music genre.

I agree with you man, that's the same thing I felt when I got the 598 open, everything sounds distant and veiled. Preferences I guess. I didn't like this sound at all, but most people seem to love it. Maybe if you only listen to classical and live music you will appreciate the sense of space, also if you're used to always listening with speakers, but for me the cs are definitely more forward and engaging, and only lack a bit on sub bass.

 

[LazyListener]

Hi! I would buy new headphones for my fiio x1 2nd gen. with fiio A3 amp. I've seen sennheiser hd 598 se and beyerdynamic dt 770 pro (80 ohm) but I can't choice one of them. I've never used open headphones, so I'm curious about hd 598 and his sound stage, otherwise I usually listen rap/hip hop/electronic music so maybe dt 770 could be better for bass sounds. Could you give me an advice about it?

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I've never heard DT770.  I can only say that the 598 are not IDEAL for the music genres you mentioned.  Many people prefer a headphone with more bass, especially low bass, than the 598 produce.  For me, personally, I think they do a pretty good job with those genres.  I'd say stick with a closed back can for those genres.  But if you want to try an open can, then the 598 are the best of the open cans I've tried.  Other open cans provide noticeably less bass.  The X2 are open and have good bass, but the treble can be sharp at times and soundstage isn't as big as 598.

 

[Simple Mind]

I have a question; just bought the HD598 and it seems to have more bass than the HD598 pair I was listening to 3 years ago that I gave away..Is it possible that the tuning or amount of bass could have changed on the Headphone during that time by the manufacturer or is that unlikely?
 
Thanks.

 

[LazyListener]

  I have a question; just bought the HD598 and it seems to have more bass than the HD598 pair I was listening to 3 years ago that I gave away..Is it possible that the tuning or amount of bass could have changed on the Headphone during that time by the manufacturer or is that unlikely?
 
Thanks.

Which 598 did you just buy?
 
I had a brand new ivory 598 and an brand new SE that sounded very different from each other, so yes, it is possible for them to sound different.  The reason for that is unknown.  Probably variations in manufacturing.

 

[Simple Mind]

 
Which 598 did you just buy?
 
I had a brand new ivory 598 and an brand new SE that sounded very different from each other, so yes, it is possible for them to sound different.  The reason for that is unknown.  Probably variations in manufacturing.

Thanks for the reply. I bought the regular Ivory open, not the special edition. It seems to have slightly more bass than what I remember of the 598 but this is only going on memory. I'm just wondering if the manufacturer might change the sound slightly on the same model over a period of years? Is that possible? I preferred the sound of the one 3 years ago to this one. 

 

[tobar]

I've never heard DT770.  I can only say that the 598 are not IDEAL for the music genres you mentioned.  Many people prefer a headphone with more bass, especially low bass, than the 598 produce.  For me, personally, I think they do a pretty good job with those genres.  I'd say stick with a closed back can for those genres.  But if you want to try an open can, then the 598 are the best of the open cans I've tried.  Other open cans provide noticeably less bass.  The X2 are open and have good bass, but the treble can be sharp at times and soundstage isn't as big as 598.

Thank you so much. I will buy dt770 that is closed and maybe more suitable for my preferred music genre, I also saw different reviews about that. Anyway open headphones will be my next purchase, cause I've never used it and in this way I can listen myself the difference about open and closed!

 

[LazyListener]

  Thanks for the reply. I bought the regular Ivory open, not the special edition. It seems to have slightly more bass than what I remember of the 598 but this is only going on memory. I'm just wondering if the manufacturer might change the sound slightly on the same model over a period of years? Is that possible? I preferred the sound of the one 3 years ago to this one. 

How long did you own the first 598s for?  I noticed after about a year of owning mine, that it seemed they now had less bass than when I first got them.  At first, I thought it was because I had worn in the pads somewhat.  But after listening to other, less bassy, cans for about a week or so, then returning back to the 598, I noticed the bass had "returned."  For me, I think I just got used to their sound so much, that I started to not appreciate them as much.  Some time listening only to inferior cans, and then going back to the 598, made them sound "new" again.
 
In your case, it may just be break in or the pads wearing over time on your first pair.  Or it could be variations in manufacturing between units.  It's possible Sennheiser made changes that they did not announce or confirm.  I think unintentional variations in manufacturing are more likely, however.

 

[LazyListener]

I was just wondering why I prefer my open back 598s to all other cans I've heard or own.  There are many reasons, but one major reason is that they NEVER sound too loud or harsh or sibilant or anything like that.  They are the most non-fatiguing cans I've ever heard, yet they still reveal plenty of detail.  I'm sensitive to brightness.  Even my 650s can sound a bit bright at times with some songs.  The 598s never do, ever.  This non-fatiguing quality lets me turn up the volume quite loud and feel the bass without the mids or treble sounding too loud - so balanced. You can blast them continuously with no fatigue (I don't recommend it; save your hearing).  Also, I can easily fall asleep with them when I'm tired, even with moderate volume.
 
So I was thinking, why is that?  What about their design or tuning could contribute to this non-fatiguing perfection?  So I hopped over to Sennheiser USA website for more information.  Reading the list of features, there's one that stands out as the likely reason - "surround reflector for extended spatial sound field."  I'm not sure exactly what this is or what it's designed to do.  However, I'm going to guess by its name that it's something that reduces the amount of direct sounds that enter your ears.  Basically, I think it creates "reflected" sounds so that the sounds don't go straight from driver to your ears, but are instead bounced around a bit before entering your ears.  I think this attributes to the cans' softer, more laid back, non-fatiguing sound.
 
I've owned them for over a year and I'm still in awe of how almost perfectly tuned the 598 are.  Kudos to the engineers at Sennheiser for achieving what I believe may be the best headphone in the world in their price bracket.  Sennheiser, if you're reading this, please don't ever discontinue the original, ivory 598.  They're simply too good.  Haven't heard your 599 yet, but I don't see how it can get much better than 598.  I wish the 598 could be frozen in time like the Koss Porta Pro that's been around for around 30 years now.

 

[gargani]

I was just wondering why I prefer my open back 598s to all other cans I've heard or own.  There are many reasons, but one major reason is that they NEVER sound too loud or harsh or sibilant or anything like that.  They are the most non-fatiguing cans I've ever heard, yet they still reveal plenty of detail.  I'm sensitive to brightness.  Even my 650s can sound a bit bright at times with some songs.  The 598s never do, ever.  This non-fatiguing quality lets me turn up the volume quite loud and feel the bass without the mids or treble sounding too loud - so balanced. You can blast them continuously with no fatigue (I don't recommend it; save your hearing).  Also, I can easily fall asleep with them when I'm tired, even with moderate volume.

So I was thinking, why is that?  What about their design or tuning could contribute to this non-fatiguing perfection?  So I hopped over to Sennheiser USA website for more information.  Reading the list of features, there's one that stands out as the likely reason - "surround reflector for extended spatial sound field."  I'm not sure exactly what this is or what it's designed to do.  However, I'm going to guess by its name that it's something that reduces the amount of direct sounds that enter your ears.  Basically, I think it creates "reflected" sounds so that the sounds don't go straight from driver to your ears, but are instead bounced around a bit before entering your ears.  I think this attributes to the cans' softer, more laid back, non-fatiguing sound.

I've owned them for over a year and I'm still in awe of how almost perfectly tuned the 598 are.  Kudos to the engineers at Sennheiser for achieving what I believe may be the best headphone in the world in their price bracket.  Sennheiser, if you're reading this, please don't ever discontinue the original, ivory 598.  They're simply too good.  Haven't heard your 599 yet, but I don't see how it can get much better than 598.  I wish the 598 could be frozen in time like the Koss Porta Pro that's been around for around 30 years now.

I own the 518's and the 558's as well as the Ivories, and they have the ''surround reflectors'' too. They also have that laid back, non-fatiguing quality. Although they're tuned slightly differently.

 

[LazyListener]

I own the 518's and the 558's as well as the Ivories, and they have the ''surround reflectors'' too. They also have that laid back, non-fatiguing quality. Although they're tuned slightly differently.

I've never heard the 518 or 558.  I read that 558 are almost identical to 598, but tuned differently, whereas the 518 are a bigger step down in sound quality to both 558 and 598.  Is that your impression as well?  Have you posted a quick comparison between the 3 anywhere that you can link to?  Would be interested in hearing your comparisons.

 

[KopaneDePooj]

According to this amazon reviewer the "surround reflector" is the lump inside the cups.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R27Q3ZCEOV4M9/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B0042A8CW2

 

[Tuneslover]

I was just wondering why I prefer my open back 598s to all other cans I've heard or own.  There are many reasons, but one major reason is that they NEVER sound too loud or harsh or sibilant or anything like that.  They are the most non-fatiguing cans I've ever heard, yet they still reveal plenty of detail.  I'm sensitive to brightness.  Even my 650s can sound a bit bright at times with some songs.  The 598s never do, ever.  This non-fatiguing quality lets me turn up the volume quite loud and feel the bass without the mids or treble sounding too loud - so balanced. You can blast them continuously with no fatigue (I don't recommend it; save your hearing).  Also, I can easily fall asleep with them when I'm tired, even with moderate volume.

So I was thinking, why is that?  What about their design or tuning could contribute to this non-fatiguing perfection?  So I hopped over to Sennheiser USA website for more information.  Reading the list of features, there's one that stands out as the likely reason - "surround reflector for extended spatial sound field."  I'm not sure exactly what this is or what it's designed to do.  However, I'm going to guess by its name that it's something that reduces the amount of direct sounds that enter your ears.  Basically, I think it creates "reflected" sounds so that the sounds don't go straight from driver to your ears, but are instead bounced around a bit before entering your ears.  I think this attributes to the cans' softer, more laid back, non-fatiguing sound.

I've owned them for over a year and I'm still in awe of how almost perfectly tuned the 598 are.  Kudos to the engineers at Sennheiser for achieving what I believe may be the best headphone in the world in their price bracket.  Sennheiser, if you're reading this, please don't ever discontinue the original, ivory 598.  They're simply too good.  Haven't heard your 599 yet, but I don't see how it can get much better than 598.  I wish the 598 could be frozen in time like the Koss Porta Pro that's been around for around 30 years now.

I've noticed that the 598 SE and CS also has these reflectors.